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Precision Rifleman July 2012
Bill Johnston is Top Gun at 1,000-Yard Long Range Nationals
Bill Johnston, Champion 2012 1,000-Yard Nationals Bill Johnston attributes his success to having a good gun and good wind. When asked about his strategy he said he shoots at different wind conditions on the practice target so that if the condition returns during the record you know how to respond. He said you have to watch the wind, look for shifts and compensate. I inquired whether he agrees that competitive bench rest shooting is as much a mind game as it is skill, to which he responded: #1 - It is important to have an accurate rifle when you go to the line and #2 - To have confidence in the load and accuracy of your rifle and know the bullet will land where you expect. Bill has been shooting since he was 3 years old. His father was a gun maker so it has always been a part of his life. He started with a muzzle loader, then progressed to pistols and rifles. He has always enjoys shooting squirrels from far distances. He entered long range competition around 2 years ago because he liked the challenge. He said now that he’s recently retired he considers LR shooting his new full-time job.
Richard Schatz, Winner, Two-Gun 1000-yd Richard Schatz, likes to use the expression, “the wind can blow them in just as easy as it can blow them out.” Based on his placements, I guess the wind was on his side this time. Richard’s been shooting since he was a little tyke. The county where he was
raised offered a bounty of 4-cents for each gopher tail brought to the commissioner. His father supplied all the rimfire ammo as long as he didn’t waste it. Well, waste ammo he did not; waste gophers he did - and in abundance. He and his brother ended up turning in a whopping 4,800 gopher tails in one year! That’s three 5-quart ice cream buckets full of gopher tails, according to Richard. He began shooting long range in 2001, when he had a custom rifle built and was anxious to shoot it. He went to Missoula, Montana that weekend to try it out. The other participants were shooting large caliber brass and were poking fun at Richard’s small cartridge...right up until the end when he took home a handfull of cash. It goes to show that in shooting, sometimes size doesn’t matter. Two-Gun Score Top Ten Bill Johnston.....................817/6x Richard Schatz....................806/5x Frank Vance......................802/10x Greg Wilson.......................795/7x Terry Balding......................788/8x Dan Roberson....................784/10x Robert Hoppe.....................769/8x Gary Gagliano.....................766/2x Rick Duncan.......................763/7x Curt Mendenhall..................763/4x Two-Gun Group Top Ten Richard Schatz....................6.585 Bill Johnston........................7.016 John Crawford......................7.575 Terry Balding........................7.795 Robert Hoppe.......................7.837 Rick Duncan.........................8.330 Bruce Bangeman....................8.528 Greg Wilson.........................8.619 Curt Mendenhall....................9.021 Ken Schroeder.......................9.053 Point Standing Bill Johnston, 18 - National Champion Richard Schatz, 19..........Second Place Terry Balding, 29..............Third Place Greg Wilson, 30..............Fourth Place Robert Hoppe, 34..............Fifth Place John Crawford, 37.............Sixth Place Rick Duncan, 39............Seventh Place Gary Gagliano, 44............Eighth Place Bruce Bangeman, 54..........Ninth Place Curt Mendenhall, 55..........Tenth Place
Summary of Standings 1,000-Yard Top Guns Bill Johnston......National Champion Richard Schatz..........Two Gun Group Bill Johnston.............Two Gun Score Richard Schatz.........Light Gun Group Robert Hoppe...........Light Gun Score Bill Johnston..........Heavy Gun Group Bill Johnston..........Heavy Gun Score New National Records Rick Duncan, LG 3-Tgt Score...149/4x Robert Hoppe, LG 6-Tgt Score...288/6x Rick Duncan, LG 6-Tgt Score.....283/6x Light Gun 6-Tgt Group: Top Ten Richard Schatz......................4.801 Robert Hoppe.......................5.041 Dick Colyar..........................5.676 Bill Johnston........................6.273 Curt Mendenhall....................6.300 Rick Duncan.........................6.373 Terry Balding........................6.923 Greg Wilson.........................7.127 John Crawford......................7.168 Bruce Bangeman....................7.336 Light Gun 6-Tgt Score: Top Ten Robert Hoppe....................288/6x Rick Duncan........................283.6x John Crawford....................280/2x Thomas Price......................277/6x Larry Kahle........................273/5x Dan Roberson.....................272/5x Greg Wilson.......................272/4x Monte Whipple....................272/3x Gary Gagliano.....................270/1x Andy Anderson....................269/4x Heavy Gun 6-Tgt Group: Top Ten Bill Johnston.......................7.759 John Crawford......................7.983 Richard Schatz......................8.368 Terry Balding........................8.667 Gary Noble..........................8.915 Bruce Bangeman....................9.719 Ken Schroeder.......................9.807 Greg Wilson.........................10.11 Rick Duncan.........................10.28 Robert Hoppe.......................10.63 Heavy Gun 6-Tgt Score: Top Ten Bill Johnston.....................552/4x Frank Vance.......................546/9x Curt Mendenhall..................541/3x Richard Schatz....................540/4x Terry Balding......................531/3x Bob Dorton........................531/3x Greg Wilson.......................523/3x Dan Roberson.....................512/5x Rob Allen...........................510/5x Gary Gagliano.....................496/1x